The present invention relates to signaling devices, and more particularly to door chimes and methods of manufacturing door chimes.
A wide variety of door chime assemblies have been available for decades, each offering any number of aesthetic and functional features to attract customers. Unfortunately, a result of such a wide variety is a lack of standardization in the industry and even within product lines. While not normally a problem per se, a lack of standardization brings with it a number of disadvantages to consumers and to manufacturers. For example, manufacturers offering different types (e.g., models, sizes, etc.) of door chime assemblies often have additional inventory for each assembly type and need separate molds and other tooling to manufacture the different assemblies. As another example, conventional door chimes cannot be readily changed in operation or appearance by a consumer or installer. Therefore, when the external appearance or the sounds made by the chimes of a door chime assembly are no longer desirable, the entire assembly must typically be replaced.
Another shortcoming of conventional door chime assemblies is related to their installation. Most commonly, electrically-powered door chime assemblies are supplied with electricity from a remotely connected transformer. Because it is desirable (and often required by electrical codes) to isolate relatively high-voltage electricity to the transformer from relatively low-voltage electricity powering striker actuators in the door chime assembly and doorbell buttons connected to the transformer, the transformer is often installed a distance from the door chime assembly and from the buttons. As a result, relatively low-voltage doorbell wiring with thin electrical insulation is commonly installed in a house or building between the doorbells and/or door chime assembly and the transformer. Such wiring can be in addition to electrical wiring already in the walls, floors, and ceilings of a house or building, and therefore represents an additional wiring process for the door chime assembly installer. Therefore, the practice of isolating a transformer (and the relatively high-voltage wiring supplying power thereto) from the rest of the door chime assembly and buttons is required by the National Electric Code and numerous other electric codes across the country, but increases installation difficulties as just described. As used herein and in the appended claims, the term xe2x80x9chigh-voltagexe2x80x9d refers to voltage between the house or building power supply and the transformer of the subject door chime assembly, while the term xe2x80x9clow voltagexe2x80x9d refers to voltage between the transformer and other portions of the door chime assembly. For example, the xe2x80x9chigh voltagexe2x80x9d power to a transformer is commonly 120 or 220 Volts in United States homes and buildings, while the xe2x80x9clow voltagexe2x80x9d power in a door chime assembly is less than 30 Volts, and is commonly set at 8, 16, or 24 Volts.
In addition to the above-described installation problems of conventional door chime assemblies, many door chime assemblies have mounting orientation limitations. Specifically, some door chime assemblies must be mounted in a particular orientation to operate properly. This can significantly limit an installer""s options relating to door chime assembly appearance and location.
Another problem common to conventional door chime assemblies is the manner in which they are manufactured. Even relatively simple door chime assemblies have numerous parts that must be assembled, mounted and wired by a manufacturer. Increased industry competition requires that manufacturers employ door chime assembly designs enabling easy and fast door chime assembly production at minimal cost and without sacrifice of quality. However, many conventional door chime assembly designs are either too labor-intensive to profitably manufacture or are produced at significant losses.
Unfortunately, there is often little compromise between quality and ease of manufacture for conventional door chime assembly designs. Although tone quality, resonance, and volume are valuable features for any door chime assembly, a consumer must typically purchase an expensive assembly to obtain these features even though they generally have little to do with the manufacturers"" assembly costs. Accordingly, an inexpensive door chime assembly with good tone quality, resonance, and volume is a rare item.
In light of the problems and limitations of the prior art described above, a need exists for a door chime assembly that reduces the amount of wiring for installation, is easier to install, can be installed in different orientations as desired, meets electrical codes by isolating or shielding high-voltage lines from low-voltage lines (as commonly required by city and other electric codes), can be readily changed to meet a user""s taste, can be easily, quickly, and inexpensively manufactured, and has high-quality acoustics. Each preferred embodiment of the present invention achieves one or more of these results.
Some embodiments of the present invention enable a user to select from different appearances for a door chime assembly by providing two or more different housing covers for the door chime assembly. The housing covers can be different in shape, size, and/or appearance, and preferably can be releasably mounted to the rest of the door chime assembly, such as to a base of the door chime assembly. A door chime assembler, manufacturer, or end user can therefore select from different door chime assembly appearances by selecting one of two or more different housing covers. Each housing cover can preferably be mounted to a universal housing base. Preferably, the appearance of an existing door chime assembly (e.g., one installed by an earlier user or one matching a previous room decor) can be changed in this manner, thereby avoiding the need to purchase an entirely new door chime assembly in order to obtain a different door chime assembly appearance.
In addition or alternatively, housing covers having different internal shapes can be attached to the rest of the door chime assembly, thereby changing the type of sound generated by the door chime assembly when operated. A manufacturer, assembler, or user can therefore select from different door chime sounds by selecting one of two or more different housing covers. This avoids the need to install a different door chime assembly in order to obtain a different door chime assembly sound.
The door chime assembly according to the present invention can employ a number of different features that change and/or improve the sound quality of the door chime assembly. For example, some preferred embodiments have housing covers that are domed or tented for improved sound. The housing cover can be defined by walls extending away from a housing base and joined to a housing cover top surface by curved edges and corners. Another acoustic feature of the present invention is the use of an internal acoustic chamber that is not separated by one or more internal walls (other than structure associated with the actuator and striker assembly and the chimes and chime mounts). Also, the side walls of the housing cover preferably have apertures that enable the escape of sound from the door chime assembly. Preferably, an aperture is located adjacent to each chime in the door chime assembly, and can be located along a face of the chime rather than an edge or end thereof in order to provide improved acoustics. For this purpose also, some embodiments of the present invention have chimes located adjacent to the side wall apertures and between the apertures and the center of the acoustic chamber.
Other significant advantages of the present invention are provided by the use of a door chime assembly transformer that can be mounted to the door chime assembly housing. By employing such an arrangement, the door chime assembly and transformer can be assembled and conveniently installed as a single integral unit in which low voltage wiring is separated by high voltage wiring in order to meet electrical codes. This feature simplifies door chime assembly and wiring, and therefore significantly shortens the time needed to install a door chime assembly.
In addition, some preferred embodiments of the present invention employ an actuator and striker assembly that permits the door chime assembly to be mounted in any orientation desired. This flexibility increases the options for door chime appearance and mounting location. To further enhance its appearance, the chime can be left in its natural state or can be painted to match the dxc3xa9cor.
More information and a better understanding of the present invention can be achieved by reference to the following drawings and detailed description.